The River Never Stops
by Elentiya123
Summary: 16 year old Ami -short for Amethyst- takes a trip to Italy over summer break. Her vacation is just an average one to Italy, that is, until she discovers a hidden cave. It turns out her summer is going to be anything but normal.


**_HIII! This is my first fanfic, so please go easy on me. Reviews and PMs are greatly encouraged! Thank you so much for reading this! Just so you know, I was listening to music while writing this, if that explains anything! (It probably doesn't, but…) On with the story!_**

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><p>Lying against my headboard, I looked around my hotel room. It was plain, but not disgustingly so, not that I expected much for a cheap room. It was much too humid for my liking, but at least I would be leaving soon.<p>

I was going to see a newly discovered ancient Italian site, with the medieval castles and everything in Italy. Ever since I read The River of Time series, I have wanted to go to Italy and see the castle fort things. As I won't be able to go back in time like Gabi, this is the closest I can get to being in the books.

Turning my head, I looked at the clock and saw that it was 9:00 pm. I would be leaving tomorrow for the airport at 6:00, so I might as well go to sleep now so I won't be as tired.

The last thought I had before drifting into oblivion was that if I would ever end up like Gabi and Lia, I would definitely not have a problem wearing all of the dresses.

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><p>-Beeep- Beeeep- Beeeeeeeep- Groaning, I slam my fist on top of the alarm, shutting off that incessant beeping. Dragging myself out of bed, I regretted not taking a shower the night before.<p>

I climb into the tub and reach for my loofa, only to realize it was packed away. Shutting off the water, I stepped out and rummaged through my bag for the loofa, shampoo, and soap.

Luckily, I find it quickly without messing up my packing much. Once I got the water running and got in, I realized I forgot my conditioner. This was going to be a _loooong_ day.

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><p>The airport is just as I remember- filthy, crowded, smelly, disorganized, outdated, loud, etc. I look up at the signs, regretting the fact that I didn't get glasses yet. Fortunately, my eyesight isn't too bad, just annoying, so I can still make out which way security is.<p>

The line isn't too long over here, but the security guards are really slow. The line just keeps creeping forward at the same pace as a snail moves.

I drop my carry-on baggage and my purse in the dirty gray bins and wait for my turn to walk through the metal detector. I always wondered, what if someone really wanted to bring a gun or something with them, couldn't they make a plastic gun and still be able to go through? I never asked anybody though, because then they would think I want to hijack a plane or something.

When I step through the metal detector, I make my way over to my bags where they sit at the end of the belt. Pulling my purse onto my shoulder, I realize how much I stand out here.

Me, a tallish red-brown haired girl with lightly tanned skin, among all of the extremely tanned people around here. They all had chocolate colored skin, and I was sticking out like a sore thumb. I hate being the center of attention, and now I was being stared at by a lot of people.

I rush over to the gate, well aware of the fact that the plane will be leaving soon. I scrambled onto the plane, and take my seat in economy-plus.

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><p>The plane flight is as boring as any other. At first, like on many other times, I watch a movie on my iPad. Then I reach into my bag and snatch a copy of <em>Waterfall<em>. As usual, I reread only the good parts, like when Gabi first gets out of the cave and meets Marcello.

Soon I run out of things to do. This flight is one of the longest ones I've been on. I pull out my phone, plug in my headphones, and listen to music while I was lost in thought about a story I have wanted to write ever since I had been on a plane ride and looked out the window.

I had thought that heaven was in the sky, above the clouds, but when I saw what it was like up here for the first time, I realized it must not be. Unless their world was invisible to us. 'What if there was a whole different world up here, not heaven. People's dreams come to life, floating in the clouds, and nobody could see them. And what if, they thought heaven was below them, not above? What if they thought of the clouds as their ground, and imagined and dreamed up creatures and things we thought ordinary?'

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><p>"We will be arriving soon" the flight attendant announced over the speaker. Snapping out of my daze, I look out the window to see the redish roofs of the houses, and old, intricate churches and buildings that were no doubt built long ago. Italy is so much more beautiful than I thought it would be. As the plane tilts downwards, I look out the window, catching one last glimpse of the peaceful land in the sky.<p>

The airport here is no doubt much better than the one I was just at. It was more modern, clean, organized, and it didn't take long at all for me to get a taxi to go to the house I was staying at. The drive is about 2 hours, as the house is closer to the castello than the city. I'm fluent in Italian, so I tell the driver the address and tossed him a few bills.

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><p>The drive wasn't so bad as I didn't get too board with all of the scenery flashing past the window.<p>

The house I am staying at isn't incredibly fancy, if anything its a little run-down. I'm renting it for around a month, which should be enough time for me to explore the nearby forest and see all the castellos. I set my things down by the front door and take in my home-for-a-month.

It had pretty much all I needed - a bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a couch. I don't really need much to be comfortable. After I look through the house a few times, I start to unpack. I pull out a large pile of clothes from my luggage, thankful that there is a washing machine here so I didn't have to pack too much.

When I reach the end of the pile I spot the pink ball gown I brought in case I feel like dressing up. Though it seems like a bad idea, I pull the dress over my head and lace it up. I look in the mirror, and I pulll my brown curls into an elegant bun.

Once I'm satisfied with my appearance, I step outside and into the forest. When I walk into the woods, it feels as if I'm searching for something, but I have no idea what it could be.

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><p>The woods are thick and the woods are dense with vegetation. I stumble through the woods, stepping over roots and ducking under low hanging branches and vines. There is a light dirt path in the forest that I follow, but the path soon fades. The sun is still high in the sky, so I continue exploring off the path.<p>

Eventually, I wander upon a high cliff, and I am at the base of it. This doesn't bother me in the slightest, in fact it might help me a bit as my sense of direction is terrible. I end up walking along the stone wall, admiring the scenery.

The birds are chirping, all different colors and species than I know from my home. Soon the sound of running water reaches my ears, and I find a small stream trickling through the forest. I start walking upstream, wanting to find the source of the water. It doesn't take long for the water to lead me to reach a cave where the water drips down from the ceiling.

I am about to enter the cave when the shadows from the trees start dancing in the dimming light of the sunset. Thinking I'll come here tomorrow, I start on my way back to the house.

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><p>After exausting myself with my activities that day, I fall onto my bed, not caring much about my dress or hair. I soon fall into a deep sleep, thinking of a cave deep in the forest hidden by some bushes I saw earlier that day when I was exploring.<p>

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><p><strong><em>Soooo, what did you think? It isn't much, but please stick with me! Review! <em>**


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